[rsynnott]

That would probably be the worst thing they could do. The FA has already lost a lot of credibility; if there was even a hint that this had happened, other regulators would be extremely cautious of it and any other Boeing plane.

[JMTQp8lwXL]

There may be some degree of regulatory capture going on. It was European aviation bodies that halted the 737 Max before the FAA did. (We should all be thankful there's multiple regulatory bodies).

[AmVess]

Some degree? That's putting it very lightly. FAA lets Boeing certify their own jets.

[JMTQp8lwXL]

Because the FAA doesn't have the resources to do it themselves. It's quite different from, e.g., the FCC.

[chii]

Then why isn't the cost of certification borne by the company asking to be certified?